


See you later, not goodbye.

by catfishkid



Category: Catfish: The TV Show
Genre: Bromance, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Hint of romance, M/M, Poor Nev, Possibly Pre-Slash, small sparks are flying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:13:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27658673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catfishkid/pseuds/catfishkid
Summary: Nev finds out Max is leaving the show and he struggles to process the information.
Relationships: Max Joseph & Nev Schulman, Max Joseph/Nev Schulman
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	See you later, not goodbye.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I wrote this when I found out Max was leaving Catfish :( :’( I never got around to posting it so I’m throwing out here a couple years too late but hey ho. (Not in the same series as my other Catfish stories but enjoy)

“It’s not a goodbye it’s a see you later. That sounds cheesy doesn’t it?”

Don’t forget the good times.

Nev pretended he didn’t hear at first he just smiled, nodded and carried on trying to show Max the funny compilation video on his laptop. 

“Nev, listen to me.”

Nev didn’t, he didn’t want to listen. He didn’t want to process the words that had come out of Max’s mouth at all. He continued shoving the laptop at Max.

“Nev!” Max grabbed the laptop from his hands and gently closed it with a deep breath. “Did you hear what I just said?”

“Yes,” Nev finally gave in, the words made him feel like a tonne of bricks had been dropped on him. “You’re leaving the show.”

He said ‘show’ like that was the part that hurt him the most, but it wasn’t because Max wasn’t just leaving the show, he was leaving him. 

“I wanted to tell you sooner, I just wasn’t sure how. I needed to make sure I was certain of this first.”

“So you’ve known for ages that you was just going to up and leave.”

“It’s not like that, I’m not just going to ditch you guys after filming this episode, but contract renewal is happening soon and I just won’t be renewing.”

Nev clenched his jaw, he hated how blasé his cohost seemed right now even though he, himself was on the verge of super angry and super upset. But that was Max for you, the cool aloof one. Nev didn’t understand why he expected more. There was silence between them and Nev just couldn’t think of the right words to say, he didn’t want to appear completely vulnerable so he just shrugged.

“I’m going to get ready for filming, I’ll see you down there.”

Max asked him to stay, told him they had a bit of time and could talk, but Nev just took his laptop and left Max in his room. 

Nev didn’t cry in the shower, he thought he would, he even wanted himself to just to get it out of his system so he wouldn’t do it in front of Max later on, but that didn’t happen. 

Nearly seven years they’d been together on the road. They’d become close, best friends, inexplicably more than best friends even and Nev didn’t know what he was meant to do without his partner by his side. No one knew Nev like Max did and Nev was pretty sure that no one knew Max like he did. 

Nev, plastered on a fake smile before leaving the hotel. The car ride with the hopeful hopefully didn’t come across as awkward on camera as Nev thought it was in real life, Max stayed quiet in the backseat and Nev spoke more than usual just to fill the silence. The hopeful, George, had met the woman he’d been talking to for eight years yesterday and it was one of those beautifully rare moments that the suspected Catfish wasn’t really a Catfish. So they were going back to the cul-de-sac in Tampa Bay to wrap things up, something that should be a relatively easy job.

And that’s exactly what is was, thank god. George and the love of his life, Breanna, were sickly sweet together and didn’t have a complaint or bad word about how things had gone all these years. They were genuinely happy to be able to finally be able to see each other. Nev was almost jealous at how equally dependent they seemed on each other and they hadn’t even spent seven years filming a show together.

Nev sat outside on the front porch steps whilst the crew finished up debriefing George and Breanna and loaded all the equipment into the cars. It wasn’t long before Max joined him.

“Does anyone else know?” Was the first thing Nev said to him.

“I spoke to a few people. The producers.”

“Rel and Henry?”

“No.”

“So I’m not the absolute last to know then, at least that’s one thing.”

“The people I’ve spoken to don’t know my final decision yet. You’re the first to know, I just didn’t want to drop something like this on you before I was certain.” Max sighed and brought his hand up to Nev’s shoulder and squeezed it. “And honestly, if there was one thing that would’ve made this decision even harder, it would have been you, Nev.”

There was a small smile between the two of them, a small sincere smile. Nev could tell when Max was smiling for real, there was a soft look in his eyes. Nev couldn’t be mad for him, it would’ve been selfish. 

“I’m going to miss you.” Nev sighed. He expected a reply from Max, there wasn’t one he just stared at Nev the hand on Nev’s shoulder tightening its grip ever so slightly. Then something possessed Nev’s hand and he brought it up to Max’s face under the guise he was brushing away a stray strand of grey hair flopping over his forehead, but his fingers lingered softly on his cheek.

Was this ‘a moment’? Nev wasn’t entirely sure but it felt like one, for a second he forgot that they were sitting outside a house where the whole crew could see this might be a moment. Then when it hit him he quickly took his hand away and Max did the same, breaking the eye contact. 

“I’m going to miss you too.” Max said, running both his hands through his hair. “I have to do this though for myself. I can’t just be a part time filmmaker anymore, I have to give it my all.”

“You’re going to do great, Maxie.”

“Maxie,” Max quietly repeated with a snort. “Remember before the pilot episode filmed, I’m sure I had it wrote in my contract that I’d do the show as long as you stopped calling me Maxie.”

“Well now I can call you it again.”

“Yeah you can, I’ll allow you that.” Max stood up and straightened his clothes, Nev done the same. “Are you coming for Breanna’s bbq?”

It wasn’t unknown for the catfish or hopeful to ask them to partake in some sort of social activity after filming, especially if it went well. And they’d never declined, this time Nev didn’t want to go though, but he didn’t want to make Max feel guilty. “Sure, I just want to go for a drive first, clear my head.”

“Are we okay?”

“Of course we are, it’s just me being stupid. But we’re okay.” Nev offered Max a small smile, “See you soon.”

“See you soon.”

Nev hoped down the small steps and down the front yard to where the cars were parked and being loaded it’s camera equipment and filming gear, he lied and told the producer he needed to take the car to pick up some bbq supplies and he was met with no protest. He just about opened the drivers side door when someone grabbed his hand and pulled him around into a hug. 

“I meant it when I said I’m going to miss you.” Max said, voice low, into Nev’s ear making the younger man shudder.

“I’m only going for a quick drive,” Nev quickly said with and awkward laugh. 

“You know what I mean.” Max squeezed Nev a little tighter and held him for just a little longer before letting go.

Whilst Nev wanted to be alone right now part of him didn’t want to be without Max. Especially since their days by each others side were now numbered.

“Come and drive with me.”

“What about the bbq? They’re expecting us.”

“We’ll text them some excuse and join later. Plus then crazy kids are so into each other let’s be honest, they’ll hardly notice we’re not there.” 

“You have a point.” Max ran around to the passengers seat whilst Nev got in. “So where are we headed?”

“Anywhere.” Nev shrugged.

As long as Max was by his side, for now, anything and everything was okay.


End file.
